Mishima Pass in Kai Province – Katsushika Hokusai (c. 1830-32) – Japanese Woodblock Canvas Print

Another print from the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, and one of the series’ most charming subversions of its own premise. Fuji is here, small, deep blue, perfectly formed, but it is thoroughly upstaged by an enormous cryptomeria tree that dominates the center of the composition, its trunk so vast that a group of travelers have stopped to wrap their arms around it, apparently attempting to measure its girth. The gesture is genuinely playful: these tiny, cheerful figures clinging to a giant tree while one of Japan’s most sacred mountains sits quietly in the background, patiently waiting to be noticed.

Hokusai’s handling of scale is what makes the print work so beautifully. The tree trunk rises straight through the center of the picture, cutting the composition in two and dwarfing everything around it, Fuji included. Billowing clouds in soft white cluster at either side, their rounded, decorative forms contrasting with the tree’s vertical authority. The figures below are rendered with warmth and specificity: straw hats, bundled loads, the casual postures of people pausing on a long road. It is a landscape that remembers the humans in it.

As a print, Mishima Pass brings a lightness and wit that distinguishes it from the more overtly dramatic entries in the Fuji series. Its balanced palette of cool blue, sage green, and warm cream suits a wide range of interiors, and the composition’s playful energy makes it an natural conversation piece. For collectors who appreciate the full depth of Hokusai’s range (including his humor) this is a quietly delightful choice.

 

🖨️ Print features:

– Sustainable canvas stretched on radial pine frame

– Unique canvas coating for top-notch image quality

– Soft rubber dots on bottom back corners for support

– Safe latex inks for non-toxic printing

– Back hanging included

– Inner frame made with radiata pine sourced from renewable forests

– Please note: Due to the production process of the canvases, please allow for slight size deviations with a tolerance +/- 1/8″ (3.2mm)

– Care instructions: If the canvas does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, damp cloth.

 

🚚 Fulfillment, Shipping, and Return Policy:

– Printed and shipped from the U.S.

– As our items are unique and made to order, we can only accept a return or exchange in the event that an item arrives damaged or misprinted. We cannot accept returns if you order the wrong size or change your mind. Any return requests must be made within 14 days of receiving the order.

 

💬 Questions? Looking for something else, or want something in a different size? Feel free to reach out anytime; we’ll see what we can do!